Opinion?

[mike69440]

"I'm 6'3", 225 lbs, size 11 foot." And yet you're too feeble to drive a tractor. LOL

Just yankin your chain.

I'm 6'3", 225 lbs, size 11-1/2 foot. Sadly, age is getting me feeble of body and mind. I am as good once as I ever was.... I raised the seat 1" when I put the seat suspension from my old Kubota on the Max, That extra inch Plus of leg room helps the old knees with the clutch. I'm deaf enough that I do not need to hear hydro whine. I hear my neighbor Bota whining along and it irks me from over 500' away.

 

[oldpilgrim]

"I'm 6'3", 225 lbs, size 11 foot." And yet you're too feeble to drive a tractor. LOL

Just yankin your chain.

I'm also 70 years old...... not quite feeble yet but not what I used to be.

 

[dickfoster]

I'm also 70 years old...... not quite feeble yet but not what I used to be.

Well I ain't very far behind ya so I know what you're talking about there.

 

[bigsilver]

Well I have decided to take a look at a couple of more tractors. I want to lay eyes on a Kioti and Branson. Also trying to find the closest LS dealer. I guess the search continues...

 

[Snowback]

Well I have decided to take a look at a couple of more tractors. I want to lay eyes on a Kioti and Branson. Also trying to find the closest LS dealer. I guess the search continues...

I missed something... did the test drive not go well? Just curious. Thx.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Read all the threads about Tym buying Branson before you get too much in love with one. There's a lot of unknowns regarding the Branson brand's future.

 

[AchingBack]

I do fine with the rocker pedal and like it. The side by side is ok too. I really enjoy loader work being easy with the hydro to. I had standard transmissions growing up, until I got my first auto and never looked back. Maybe I'm lazy lol

You won't have a problem with the rocker pedal if you don't try to keep your foot on forward and reverse at the same time. When moving forward, my heel is resting comfortably on the deck until I need to reverse, at which time my foot comes completely off of forward and rests on the deck while my heel is operating reverse. Try it, you'll like it.

 

[bigsilver]

I missed something... did the test drive not go well? Just curious. Thx.

Test drives have not happened yet, busy schedule at work this week and a week long field trip with my oldest boy next week. Also waiting on ag tax exempt form to come back from the state before I pull the trigger.

 

[jmh1783]

Ive got to chime in on this one. I just drove a 1538hst last Thursday. The floor is too crowded. My size 11 dress shoes had no where to go. Pressing the forward part and the tip of my shoe snapped under the brake petals. I had to retract my foot to get it out from under the brake to fully release the accelerator. The reverse was awkward at best. The heel just isnt designed for fine control. I completed my circuit of the parking lot and that tractor was disappointingly off my list.

 

[oldpilgrim]

there's an accelerator on the 1538 hst?

 

[jmh1783]

i should have said forward peddle.

 

[oldpilgrim]

My size 11 dress shoes had no where to go.

There's the problem. What kind of farmer are you driving a tractor in dress shoes? Do you wear a tie too?

 

[jmh1783]

Sigh! Thankfully not. I went right after work. The office is closer than my current home. Still took me an hour to get there.

 

[Snowback]

I'm guilty of moving some wood around in my loafers. Don't feel too bad.

Back to pedals. Jmh1783 - did you get to try the 2538 out while you were there at the dealer? It has the side by side pedals and the brakes are on the other side of the operator station. Curious to hear some additional perspectives that might help others out who are looking at the two different Mahindra 38hp Hydostats. Thanks!

 

[jmh1783]

Dealer didnt have one. Didnt have the 2540 either. I did drive the 2555 shuttle and loved it. Quieter engine than the 1538. Lots of room on the floor. Gears snick into place so you know when you got it right. I was leaning hydro but now I might go gear. $1500 cheaper too. Still researching...

 

[mike69440]

Dealer didnt have one. Didnt have the 2540 either. I did drive the 2555 shuttle and loved it. Quieter engine than the 1538. Lots of room on the floor. Gears snick into place so you know when you got it right. I was leaning hydro but now I might go gear. $1500 cheaper too. Still researching...

If you do a lot of roading and ground engaging work nothing wrong with a shuttle. If you are in confined space and doing loader work nothing wrong with HST.

 

[jmh1783]

i keep going back and forth. I still have a lot to learn. Rototilling would be easier with hst. Mowing easier with gear. Cruise control offsets that. I'll be doing some loader work. Plowing in the winter. I don't have a clear use case for one or the other.

 

[oldpilgrim]

"Plowing" snow is more often scooping and dumping snow. Perfect HST work. I find everything easier with the HST than the gear I had for 20+ years.

 

[aczlan]

"Plowing" snow is more often scooping and dumping snow. Perfect HST work. I find everything easier with the HST than the gear I had for 20+ years.

I find loader work, plowing snow, blowing snow, mowing and baling hay all go better with a HST. We have the Kubota L3830 GST (it automatically clutches to shift gears) and that loss of momentum when changing gears up or down is problematic at times.

Aaron Z

 

[mike69440]

i keep going back and forth. I still have a lot to learn. Rototilling would be easier with hst. Mowing easier with gear. Cruise control offsets that. I'll be doing some loader work. Plowing in the winter. I don't have a clear use case for one or the other.

There is nothing worse than a rough tough to shift gear transmission, but a slick nice gear shift can be sweet, think Mazda Miata. I spend a lot of operating time under 1500 RPM and Hydro whine just bothers me, though some HST's are quieter than others. I also road quite a bit, even on a small farm, I'll putter down our town gravel road and wave to the sheriff. Gear is faster and quieter than an HST and pulls hills better. Sometimes it is a clear choice, other times it gets tough, but in your case, either is still a good choice. PS I plow snow, (Not this winter?) I gave up on scooping and dumping.